The 2013 Mirage has just launched in New Zealand, and once again Mitsubishi organized an economy run/challenge to show off the car's fuel-sipping abilities.

As usual, the assembled motoring media did not fail to impress, even though the goal -- using as little fuel as possible over the prescribed route -- may have gone against typical petrolhead driving style. We actually know this for a fact: the winning driver, "ironically a renowned leadfoot ... turn(ed) in a group-best 3.3 L/100km." (Source.)

Absolutely. The owner of the CVT Mirage from Malaysia whose data is in our Fuel Economy Log has said the same thing to me: he's getting decent numbers in real world because he uses eco-driving techniques every day. He's tickled pink to be getting better mileage than some hybrids.

As long as the engine is idling, and the transmission re-engages smoothly after coasting, you're probably safe. (I would do it with my own car under those conditions.)

Of course, there are some conditions where you would want to leave it in gear on descents if doing so helps you control your speed. Better to "engine brake" down a hill than coast in neutral while idling and using the foot brake.

I see. It's good to hear that I will not do any damage to the car's transmission. Thanks for the quick feedback!

Speaking of engine brake for descents, when do one use the "B" gear (Philippine version; "S" in other countries) instead of the "D" gear? I mean, how steep should be the decline before I change to "B" gear? Is my understanding correct that if left in "D" gear, it would have the same result as accelerating in flat terrain, therefore consuming more fuel?

If you have to constantly press the brake pedal while going down a very long hill, then you should shift to "B". It will help prevent overheating the brakes.

As for fuel consumption, unless the engine enters "fuel cut-off" mode more readily in "B" than in "D" (it might), there would be no difference between the two approaches. But you would need to monitor fuel injector activity (e.g. with an OBD-II gauge like a ScanGauge) to determine the conditions when fuel cut happens.

When I visited the Dutch dealership for a test-drive, I noticed that the Mirage/Space Star had green valve-stem caps on all four tires.

That was because the tires were filled with nitrogen. It is supposed to keep the tire pressure more constant at both high and low temperatures over the long term. It would save you a small amount in fuel. This was completely new to me, and afterwards I used Google for some opinions. Conclusion: mixed reports.